Please Mak Sure Your Child Is Reading...

[Firebird]

I think I'm try to mention it to the teacher - I know you said you're not going to milee. I'm pretty blunt in real life but something along the lines of "I know you do a lot of teaching by copying for spelling and grammar, are you putting mistakes in for the kids to catch? If you are, how does that work? Because I think it's spilling over into your handouts as I've noticed a few errors on the latest ones."

Beth, I love this idea! You have a very sneaky mind

[Deleted]

My English teacher in 7th grade was from Estonia. She had a thick accent and it was hard to understand her during some spelling tests.

[NoNamePerson]

Sept 17, 2012 15:41:18 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

My English teacher in 7th grade was from Estonia. She had a thick accent and it was hard to understand her during some spelling tests.

Reminds me of my son's 5th grade teacher. We studied for his spelling test the night before. Son comes home and says he missed one word.

Me: What word?
Him: Supposed
Me: But you knew it last night
Him: But teacher said spost and I spelled spost!!

But she wasn't from Estonia

[Reckless Roselia]

Sept 16, 2012 19:54:20 GMT -5 swamp said:

Sept 16, 2012 19:51:52 GMT -5 @tbird said:

take out your red pen, circle the error, and send it back to her

One error would bother me. Since she can't be bothered to check her own work but is holding 8 year olds to very high standards, she needs to be held to the same standard.

[Deleted]

This would make me CRAZY!!! But, you don't want to get your teacher's back up, for your son's sake.

Two thoughts:
- send the anonymous corrections to the principal (for all you know, he or she has gotten several copies of them!)
- Are these papers handwritten, or typed? If they are typed, it would be much easier to say "I know how busy you are, I know you don't have time to proofread. Hope you don't mind my saying so but I've noticed a few typos." You could even offer to proofread things for her IF you have the time / desire. But that way you're putting the light on her TYPING, not her SPELLING (thinking of POM here LOL). Assuming it's typed, of course.

I might say something to the principal anyway, depending on whether I had a relationship with him / her. Sorry, but this is just NOT on! It's not like "mak" is a complicated or irregular verb, which is why I'm guessing it's carelessness more than anything else.

If it's not, ouch.

ETA: Frankly, I think the principal SHOULD be informed.

Another issue with typos (but not spelling lol) is that with the internet, we all type quickly now ... often, TOO quickly. One solution (I've found) is NOT to prepare things the night before, but to allow at least a day to reread whatever I've typed.

I'm assuming she's a new teacher and if her methods aren't up to scratch yet, that's part of what her principal is there for.

[Reckless Roselia]

I am a math(s) teacher so my reports may have numerical mistakes instead... ;D

[Deleted]

I am a math(s) teacher so my reports may have numerical mistakes instead... ;D

I'm an English teacher now (former print journalist) so I only check the English once, but I check the math (the marks) twice LOL.

[973beachbum]

Seriously though, I have had a few teachers for my kids that did things that were inappropriate IMO. When my DD was little I did what you are doing and just fumed all year. She didn't get offended but it didn't solve anything either. As a result my daughter ended up with a lost year so to speak.

With my son when I had a problem I first tried to talk to her. The conversation went Me: hi I am DS's mom Her: Oh he is very interesting. in a snide voice, at which point she turned and walked away. So I got my cookies together and complained to the principal. I brought the papers that she had written inappropriate notes on also. he was shocked that she had actually done it but not shocked also. I also told the principal that if the teacher retaliated against him the principal was to have his class changed and I would kick the Principal's ass from one end of the parking lot to the other. That I said with a smile on my face. He knew I was kidding but he wanted her to have a chance to fix the problems.

It turned out that she did get better. Shocked the shit out of me! ;D All I can say is if no one ever complains they pretend everything is great.

[Deleted]

he was shocked that she had actually done it but not shocked also.

He was probably more shocked that somebody had dared to say something lol!

ETA: THIS is how America is getting "dumbed down". Nobody says anything (and I don't blame you if you don't Milee, I wouldn't want my kid to be the scapegoat either). But then two years later the kid comes home and says "I mad a cake at a friend's house today, here is the recipe". And you will say "made", and he will (rightfully) say that his teacher taught him the verb is "mak", so the past tense is "mad", not "made".

One VERY good thing to teach kids, IMO, is that teachers are human, and that sometimes they make mistakes. For younger kids, that concept is easily aided by the fact that (SCOOP!!!) teachers pee and poo, just like them! Of course it makes younger kids laugh hysterically, but it also brings home the fact that the teachers ARE indeed human, and that we all make mistakes.

If nothing else, it helps defuse the "my teacher is always right" argument. ;-)

[973beachbum]

My decision was made easier though. My son was already her scape goat. Not saying anything wouldn't have made that better. She was also a teacher for 24 years when my son got in her classroom. She had been at the district for 16 years of it. All it took was a very casual question to a few teacher friends to find out that sure they knew about her and no teacher would let their kids in her classroom.

She got better with him and little kids stopped coming up to me and apologizing to me for the way she treated my son. I always wondered if she really got better or just moved to an easier target.

[Deleted]

Beach, I'm sorry for you and your son, that's so sad.

We've had a couple of women like that here too ... the districts keep passing them around from school to school, even though they should have stopped having their own class (or any access to kids in general) many many moons ago.

ETA: I don't know how it is there, but here, if you're a civil servant, unless you do something criminal, you stay. You may get passed around, but you won't get fired. My DS1 (now 26) had this issue with a math teacher at one of the top three HSs in France. The teacher was wonderful in the mornings, but drunk EVERY afternoon.

The school eventually found a solution ... they gave him only morning classes LOL.

[973beachbum]

This woman could actually teach. the problem is she only liked girls. My son is ADHD and very soft personality wise. So he is jumping all over the place but not tring to be bad. So when she would yell at him two things would happen at the same time. He would start crying, and the other students would start doing something across the room that she had to pay attention to. (His grade the kids are all super nice and really care about each other) She couldn't figure out why either.

She had tenure. Short of trying to blow up the building, or hitting a student, she wasn't getting fired. The normal procedure with a bad teacher that shouldn't be in the classroom anymore, but has tenure is to promote them. Isn't that a great business model?

[Deleted]

I'm just a little further along in the homeschooling journey... And having the special Ed background helps, but I'm not all that ...

I hate red pen because I hate the emphasis on being wrong. It feels glaring to me, and there are studies on the negative impact of red pen in grading/correcting.

When I grade the kids, say math, I circle in pencil or black the problems we need to revisit in our attempt to learn the material/process.

[milee]

Just received a handwritten note that my son was not standing still in line, so he will be serving a lunch "detension" tomorrow.

[midjd]

De-tension? Hmm maybe he'll be getting a neck massage

[swamp]

Sept 17, 2012 18:12:19 GMT -5 milee said:

Just received a handwritten note that my son was not standing still in line, so he will be serving a lunch "detension" tomorrow.

[Peace Of Mind]

Sept 17, 2012 18:12:19 GMT -5 milee said:

Just received a handwritten note that my son was not standing still in line, so he will be serving a lunch "detension" tomorrow.

Same teacher?!

[milee]

No joke. Same teacher. He is in her class all day except for a few special classes, such as art (which he has with her husband) and music.

[milee]

Sept 17, 2012 18:22:07 GMT -5 @bloomscuzzer said:

I am confused. Do you think the teacher is careless or stupid?

I don't have enough information to draw a conclusion that she's either of those things, so I'm not implying either. If pressed, I'd guess that she's probably a poor speller (not the end of the world, plenty of smart people are) and for some reason - time constraints or laziness? - isn't using spell check on typed communication.

Given her personal struggle with this issue, maybe a more useful approach would be for her to:
1) Use spell check and carefully proof any written communication.
2) Instead of being such a hard ass on others for skills she cannot herself demonstrate, teach the children how to use alternate methods to help them with spelling if they're struggling. They have computers and dictionaries, those would be good resources to teach them to use.
3) Lighten up a little bit. It's very hard to inspire others to be letter perfect if you don't produce quality written work.

[midjd]

"He hates most in others what he fears in himself"... I think that's what's at work here on the teacher's part. That maybe if she is a total hardass on her students for grammar/spelling, they will be better spellers as adults than she is...

[milee]

Well, in all honesty, I am hoping he'll be a better speller than she is, so that would be a good result.

[Firebird]

Sept 17, 2012 18:17:38 GMT -5 swamp said:

Sept 17, 2012 18:12:19 GMT -5 milee said:

Just received a handwritten note that my son was not standing still in line, so he will be serving a lunch "detension" tomorrow.

Fucking REALLY?!

(Also, that offense sounds lame. He wasn't "standing still"? What does that even mean?)

[Deleted]

Sept 17, 2012 18:48:16 GMT -5 milee said:

Sept 17, 2012 18:22:07 GMT -5 @bloomscuzzer said:

I am confused. Do you think the teacher is careless or stupid?

I don't have enough information to draw a conclusion that she's either of those things, so I'm not implying either. If pressed, I'd guess that she's probably a poor speller (not the end of the world, plenty of smart people are) and for some reason - time constraints or laziness? - isn't using spell check on typed communication.

Given her personal struggle with this issue, maybe a more useful approach would be for her to:
1) Use spell check and carefully proof any written communication.
2) Instead of being such a hard ass on others for skills she cannot herself demonstrate, teach the children how to use alternate methods to help them with spelling if they're struggling. They have computers and dictionaries, those would be good resources to teach them to use.
3) Lighten up a little bit. It's very hard to inspire others to be letter perfect if you don't produce quality written work.

Exactly.

It makes me sad that 'not standing still in line' is a detention-able offense...

Is there any chance she is doing this on purpose?

[milee]

If you're asking if she's being tough on him on purpose to single him out, no, I don't think so. I think she's just very tough on the kids. Luckily, he's a likeable guy and very eager to please, so teachers generally like him. I don't think this is personal, it's just her style. I'm hearing similar things from other parents as well.

Also, we've been very careful to be supportive of her wishes and shown we're working with her not against her. Plus, unless she's much better at reading people than I think, she thinks we like her.

[Peace Of Mind]

Sept 17, 2012 20:16:01 GMT -5 milee said:

If you're asking if she's being tough on him on purpose to single him out, no, I don't think so. I think she's just very tough on the kids. Luckily, he's a likeable guy and very eager to please, so teachers generally like him. I don't think this is personal, it's just her style. I'm hearing similar things from other parents as well.

Also, we've been very careful to be supportive of her wishes and shown we're working with her not against her. Plus, unless she's much better at reading people than I think, she thinks we like her.

Maybe she is teaching him, inadvertently, a much more valuable lesson. How to get along or deal with difficult/tough people. Spelling is spelling and can be taught by others. Life's lessons that will help you in your future, IMO, is much more valuable once you learn the basics.

[Deleted]

No I mean could she be wanting people to find/ point out errors for some reason?

[Deleted]

I think you are doing great working with what you have and making the right choices, especially if he will be staying in her classroom.

[Deleted]

ROFL. You need to send your kid to private school.. That is just rediculous.

[973beachbum]

Sept 17, 2012 20:54:00 GMT -5 oped said:

No I mean could she be wanting people to find/ point out errors for some reason?

If she was sending the notes to the kids maybe but that note was to the parents. Why would she possibly want to quiz the parents?

I found that elem school is much tougher on boys than girls. The girls just seem to act the way most of the elem teacher want them to. My son sounds a lot like yours Milee. He just isn't ever going to do a day long impression of the girls from Little House On the Prairie at school with their hands folded on the desk.

By the time they hit middle school the pendulum swings the other way which isn't fair either. It does mean their is an end to his side of it. I have also found that for kids who can either get on teachers nerves, or vice versa, middle school is a dream. Suddenly they don't have to put up with anyone for a whole day. Just knowing that they get to leave in 40 minutes makes almost anyone tolerable. That part actually works for the teachers also. ;D

[Peace77]

I would take one of the papers sent home to the whole class, circle the spelling errors in red, suggest that she use spell check or a dictionary and mail it anonymously to her at the school.

The next time it happens, I would send the note the teacher wrote with the spelling errors circled in red and your comment that this is unacceptable from a teacher to the principal. Send it anonymously.

If it continues. go higher up the chain.